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POLITICO 44

Three leading Republican governors on Monday defended the heated exchanges and vigorous protests taking place at health care town hall events across the country.

“I think you see a heightened emotion and passion and, you say anger, because people are scared,” said Hawaii GOP Gov. Linda Lingle, during a conference call with reporters organized by the Republican Governors Association.

“You’re talking about hundreds of billions of dollars in cuts in spending on Medicare, and that’s why you see members of the AARP separated from their leadership on this issue, because they’re scared,” the Hawaii governor said. “The heightened anger is out of fear for what it’s going to mean for their lives and the lives of their families.”

Lingle was joined on the call by fellow GOP Govs. Sonny Perdue of Georgia and Haley Barbour of Mississippi, the RGA’s chairman.

Perdue suggested that media coverage of some of the town halls has been overblown, saying what he has seen at the town halls is “democracy in action.”

“For some Democratic legislators to call it anti-democratic is just ludicrous,” said Perdue, seeming to allude to a column by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) published Monday in USA Today that called the protesters “un-American.”

“These are citizens who are very concerned,” said Perdue. “They just want answers to their questions.”

“To be excoriated for asking those questions is just beyond me,” he added.

Barbour was more tempered in his support for the protesters, choosing to focus his time blasting President Barack Obama and congressional Democrats for, according to the Mississippi governor, trying to rush through a massive health care overhaul.

“The American people realize this is too much, too far, too fast,” he said. “The Obamas took six months to pick a dog, how come they had to pass this health care bill before the August recess?”

“People do not understand why it is being crammed down their throat without getting their questions answered,” Barbour continued.

Asked about former Alaska GOP Gov. Sarah Palin’s claim last week that the Democratic health care plan is “evil” and would create a “death panel” to decide the fate of children like her youngest son, Trig, who has Down syndrome, the governors chose not to expound on her remark.

“I didn’t hear what Gov. Palin said so I can’t judge the characterization,” said Barbour.

Readers' Comments (147)

Sure they defend it. They'd defend anything if they thought it could get them one more vote in Yahoo Flats.

To set the record straight, which party is really trying to scare old people with this talk of euthanasia and extermination? Is there ant lower that the Republicans can sink? Do they have even an ounce of the "Christian morality" that they like to talk about at election time?

What the Democrats need to do now is say that the Republicans really want to abolish Social Security and Medicare, and throw Grandma out into the street to go dumpster diving. If they want to play this game, so can we--times ten.

Most of the "angry" town hall people yelling and screaming are supporters of Quitter Palin "kill him" crowd and NEVER were a fan of Obama. The town hall meeting has turn into nothing but a reality show for Republians .

Thanks to Sarah Palin Big mouth on her twiiter Blog, Democrats are learning about the GOP plan book.

Do the repub really think they could bully thier way around!! If it's civil war they want, I'm sure our fine military under President Obama's command will deliver it to them. Do they think this is the year 1865, and a civil war will be fought on the field of gettysburg with muskeets?? I know this seem "alittle far out there" but if this is not stopped soon it will become a reality.

Do the repub really think they could bully thier way around!! If it's civil war they want, I'm sure our fine military under President Obama's command will deliver it to them. Do they think this is the year 1865, and a civil war will be fought on the field of gettysburg with muskeets?? I know this seem "alittle far out there" but if this is not stopped soon it will become a reality.

Yup typical Dem! Shut down all opposition by mocking them, calling them extrimist, crying about how dangerous they are, call them unpatriotic and threatening them with bodily harm. Yep those senior citizens sure scare me.

America is beginning to take a good look at ourselves with all these: (Adults, yelling and screaming) at meetings. Now ratcheting things up a little further with GUNS !

I just read where someone attending one of the Townhall meetings went in carrying a gun and dropped it by accident. People, this is becoming insane, and I really believe the GOP and their Talking-Heads are putting these people up to all this screaming and yelling nonsense.

AS AN AMERICAN, I REALLY THOUGHT WE ALL WERE BETTER THAN THAT !.... We may as well just say, we're no better, or no more advanced then people living in other countries. You know, the countries we all call 3rd World, resorting to violence to make a point that we here in our so-called, civilized world feel sorry for, and sometimes look down upon !

WHEN ACTUALLY, WE ARE NO BETTER OFF WITH GUN TOTING, .......SCREAMING AND YELLING PROTESTERS WHO CLAIM TO BE INTELLIGENT ADULTS !

So the party of personal responsibility is once again whipping people up an into an uncivil frenzy and refuses to take any responsibility for the consequences. This is not surprising...nor is it spontaneous. It is about as orchestrated as a George W. Bush town hall meeting where only Bush supporters were allowed to be present. In the end, I believe that such tactics will prove to be counterproductive and will faIL People will remember stunts like this come election time.

“These are citizens who are very concerned,” said Perdue. “They just want answers to their questions.”

If this was true , they would tone it down so people could actually ask questions and get answers. What these radicals are doing has nothing to do with learning the facts , it is a feable attempt of shutting down the conversation "period".

I find it interesting that the elderly's doctors will be paid to let our seniors know that they have the right to die. I thought that is what the lawyers were suppose to do?

How you could find falt with a provision that was placed into the Bill by two "Republicans" that does nothing more then require insurance coverage for "optional council with your doctor to make your own end of life decisions" , is just plain crazy.

Sure they defend it. They'd defend anything if they thought it could get them one more vote in Yahoo Flats.

To set the record straight, which party is really trying to scare old people with this talk of euthanasia and extermination? Is there ant lower that the Republicans can sink? Do they have even an ounce of the "Christian morality" that they like to talk about at election time?

What the Democrats need to do now is say that the Republicans really want to abolish Social Security and Medicare, and throw Grandma out into the street to go dumpster diving. If they want to play this game, so can we--times ten.

Well, I guess technically Hawaii is in the south.... Why the first thing you know those evil republicans will be attacking people in the streets..... But of course the union thugs have already started doing that for the Democrats. In fact the administration instigated the thugs. Hit them twice as hard comes to mind? Good call on the bigotry thing again Michael.

If this was true , they would tone it down so people could actually ask questions and get answers. What these radicals are doing has nothing to do with learning the facts , it is a feable attempt of shutting down the conversation "period".

A conversation that congress and the administration tried to never have? Tempers flare when people get angry.... That doesn't have to be organized. You may remember other similar responses.....

All I ever hear from you libs is name calling. Your reps do not want to answer questions about this obama screw you health plan, you call names and send out your thugs to beat up elderly people. You fill your townhall meetings with obamabots. You set up web sites to instruct your people on how to meet with your own reps in private because you cant answer the real questions. You set up war rooms at the white house so you can be instructed in what, when and how to do things and then say that we are the ones being sent out by the insurance companys. You call Sarah Palin a quitter yet say nothing about all the ethics lawsuits your side has hit her with trying to bankrupt her and her family and making her governorship a almost impossible thing for her to do. The way the health bill is written there is a possibility of what she is saying is true. Read it! Well, It's to late, It's out there and the American people are reading it and do not like what they are reading. Thankfully I am now thinking that this bill will never be passed. Remember that out of the 45 million that do not have health coverage, 22 million make over 52,000 a year and they choose not to. They can afford it if they want it! Out of the remaining 23 million, over half of that number are illegal aliens. Sorry, illegal is illegal and can you say nota - nothing or pay for it yourself. Dont say racism here there are more than just mexican illegals. These are the ones breaking our hospitals and medical system while causing our medical bills to skyrocket.. As for the remaining 10 -12 million I am pretty sure we can work something out for them. It's not like they have no coverage. It may difficult for them but they get treated...

All I ever hear from you libs is name calling. Your reps do not want to answer questions about this obama screw you health plan, you call names and send out your thugs to beat up elderly people. You fill your townhall meetings with obamabots. You set up web sites to instruct your people on how to meet with your own reps in private because you cant answer the real questions. You set up war rooms at the white house so you can be instructed in what, when and how to do things and then say that we are the ones being sent out by the insurance companys. You call Sarah Palin a quitter yet say nothing about all the ethics lawsuits your side has hit her with trying to bankrupt her and her family and making her governorship a almost impossible thing for her to do. The way the health bill is written there is a possibility of what she is saying is true. Read it! Well, It's to late, It's out there and the American people are reading it and do not like what they are reading. Thankfully I am now thinking that this bill will never be passed. Remember that out of the 45 million that do not have health coverage, 22 million make over 52,000 a year and they choose not to. They can afford it if they want it! Out of the remaining 23 million, over half of that number are illegal aliens. Sorry, illegal is illegal and can you say nota - nothing or pay for it yourself. Dont say racism here there are more than just mexican illegals. These are the ones breaking our hospitals and medical system while causing our medical bills to skyrocket.. As for the remaining 10 -12 million I am pretty sure we can work something out for them. It's not like they have no coverage. It may difficult for them but they get treated...

The Democrats can't defend the fiasco of a government take over of health care so they attack the people that question it! These rats will learn soon that this inconvenient distraction will cost them a lot of seats in 2010 and perhaps the new ones will put it together that they are public servants, working for their constituency and not Queen Nan and the rock-star president!